I've been reading the comments here and on WGDF (the teaser) to help me use the restroom while I'm in the hospital (since my "going" is stimulated by intense stress or anxiety) I am so sad that it works for me, because I always thought the escapist was (at least in intention and generally speaking) a place of rationality, respect, understanding, and a desire for equality. But after seeing all these comments I'm just heartbroken to see how misogynistic and anti-feminist this community is. Maybe I willingly blinded myself to it to only really notice it now but this one-two punch of seeing the reactions to WGDF and this has raised my stress levels over how a community I've been a part of for more than half a decade is actually much more hostile to the very implication that things may be wrong with society (especially games) and we may be part of the problem than I thought we'd be. My reaction was one of enlightenment. I internalized the arguments presented by feminists regarding games and the all the struggles they face by virtue of just being a woman day to day, and I looked at society in a different light and thought "what can I do to help my fellow person not feel this way?" I never used to think about things like how I don't have to worry about random strangers violating me on the street or making harsh judgements on who I am based on what I'm wearing or having to be scared that rejecting someone's advances could put my safety in jeopardy or that if I were a gamer as a woman people would constantly call my status into question and I'd have to prove myself... Now I do think about these things and for me, exposure to feminism made me just more aware of how others who are not me are facing a whole subset of problems that I don't even have to think about just because they were born with different parts. And the unfairness of it makes me angry and depressed at the same time, because it's not fair to me such a large number of people not feel as represented or as cared about or as secure and I just really want everyone to feel secure and represented and equal, because if not for things like civil rights and all the other social progress that's been done I would not have met or befriended so many amazing people in my life and I'm sure you all can think of someone that, without some form of social progress, you probably would never have got to know. More social progress (for now it has to be mostly on the media and personal levels, changing small perceptions and stereotypes when we can) means more people coming out of the woodwork or being allowed past the arbitrary gates that society has put up to participate equally in more activities, which will only improve those activities since there are more people there to interact with and share knowledge with.
After my revelation and internalization I began to wonder if others like me (white straight men) reacted the same way. Then I read these comments sections or literally anything else that brings up gender (especially in regards to games). I just don't understand why it makes this community so angry to see people pointing out obvious things about games or society and then asking if we can work on it together so they can feel more included (just because we aren't experiencing a problem doesn't mean no one is our that the problem is being made up, I don't know why so many can't see that). It's not like they want to take away what we have they just want to, maybe, feel more included? Like all the rest of us did when we came into geek culture? Where does the hostility come from? The resistance to change or the possibility of it? How does it hurt us if change occurs?
Look, I'm sorry if I just made anyone mad I've just been so depressed what with the combination of seeing the depressing number of people commenting that would fit perfectly into the WGDF and the MRAs (seriously guys... it's about as defensible as white supremacy arguments, because your arguments are "we want to make sure we get equal treatment at the same time and not just when the feminists say it's our turn" and their logic is "we want to make sure white people get the same treatment and not just when the civil rights activists say it's our turn") here merely scoffing at the feminist perspective in the comic. I cried a little, honestly, I didn't think it was this bad...
Now I know people like me are just labeled as self-serving white knights (I've been called that by both sides of the discussion) and that I only pretend to hold these views to get girls or appear sensitive. I only wish I could prove otherwise so people wouldn't use that assumption to disregard what I say, but I guess I have to live with it. Anyways that's my last rant on gender issues here at the escapist for at least a while. Here's to hoping maybe someday down the line these rants won't need to happen because more people have internalized the disparities of the world. I also hope I don't get dozens of angry replies for this, I wasn't trying to make anyone angry
